Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze commented on the aftermath of the natural disaster in Telavi, stating that construction permits near the Telavishevi River were presumably issued incorrectly. He pointed out that the final assessment of the legality of these decisions must be made by competent state bodies — they must determine whether the permits were indeed issued with violations and who bears responsibility for this.
Kobakhidze said that permits for the construction of several commercial facilities had been incorrectly issued, which, according to him, exacerbated the impact of the disaster. He emphasized that in the future, the authorities must do everything possible to protect cities from such natural phenomena to the maximum extent. According to him, necessary measures will be taken to improve safety in Telavi.
The Prime Minister also reported that the installation of early warning systems is continuing across Georgia’s regions.
“The installation of early warning systems is actively continuing in absolutely all regions,” Kobakhidze stated.
As a reminder, a devastating flood and mudflow hit Telavi on the night of July 12. According to a preliminary assessment by the National Environmental Agency, the disaster was caused by heavy rainfall, which triggered a sharp activation of mudflow processes in the Telavishevi River basin.
The agency noted that three mudflow retention structures partially trapped timber and stone masses; however, the volume and force of the flow were so great that the mudflow bypassed them on the left side, damaging bank protection structures and roads. Within the city limits, the riverbed could not cope with the flow, causing the mudflow masses to spill onto adjacent areas and damage infrastructure.
